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If there ever was a time when you needed someone to give you 5 simple tips, it’s bottle weaning time. Most parents tremble when they even think about taking the precious bottle away from their little bundle of joy. They anticipate that the joy will turn into sobs or temper tantrums making life unbearable for all family members. Bottle weaning can be met with smiles and success when you know these 5 simple weaning tips.

Tip #1

Calm down: Nothing gets baby more suspicious that he/she is not going to like something than a mom or dad who acts like something bad is going to happen. Create an atmosphere of fun for your baby by treating the replacement for the bottle as a prized possession, a gift, something really special that is just for them. Character cups are a fun way of helping your child look forward to using the cup instead of the bottle.

Tip #2

Don’t take the bottle away all at once - you are asking for a traumatic experience if you do. If your child is willing to progress this quickly then by all means go with the flow. Don’t initiate this kind of drastic change yourself. Looking to your child to be ready for bottle weaning is key to successful weaning.

Tip #3

Gradually introduce the cup to your child. The process of bottle weaning should be a gradual one. Most babies are having three main bottles by the time they reach their first birthday. By no means make their actual birthday the magic day either. There are enough surprises and stresses associated with a child’s first birthday (gifts, parties, guests & family members & possibly strangers over) that adding to all the commotion by trying something new like bottle weaning may just be too much for your little one. The process of changing from bottle to cup should be handled slowly and gradually. The best way is to substitute the cup for bottle. There are two ways to do this. The first way is to start with the morning bottle – Instead of giving the bottle give the cup. The second way is to use both at the morning feeding with more liquid (formula or milk) in the cup, then in the bottle. Your child will be thirsty and drain the bottle quickly. Show your child the cup and that there is more to drink this way. Encourage him/her to take a sip. Take a sip from your own cup and say “ummmmm yummy!”

Tip #4

Make the bottle not as attractive to your child by diluting the contents (formula or milk) and giving what is in the cup, what the child is used to receiving. Praise the child every time they drink from the cup. Make a game out of using the cup; for example - every time the child takes a sip you make an animal noise. You will get giggles and laughs and your child will want to hear your animal noises and you can encourage them to take another sip to hear another animal sound. Soon your child will be taking sips on their own, just to hear your moo, oink, chirp or cluck!

Tip #5

Progress from morning bottle to afternoon bottle and then the last substitute should be the bedtime bottle. To make this last transaction smoothly, create a relaxing and pleasant routine that includes the cup instead of the bottle. Use items like a favorite bedtime toy, book, blanket, or activity like rocking in a chair or being held while you read along with the cup of formula or milk. If you normally use a bedtime snack include calcium items to replace the quantity of milk in a bottle if your child drinks less formula or milk from the cup than they would from the bottle. This way they are still receiving enough of the nutrient, calcium as they normally would with the bottle. Snacks that would be good to use are: yogurt, cheese or pudding. The less sugar in these the better. Make sure that you brush their teeth for them afterwards.

As young children get older, they start to crawl and walk around the home. Parents can guard against possible dangers by conducting a home safety evaluation from the child’s point of view. The Home Safety Council recommends that parents look at each room from their child’s eye-level and use the following tips to make homes safer for young children:

1) Supervise your young children constantly, especially around water.

2) Install sturdy baby gates at the tops and bottoms of stairs.

3) Install child safety locks on cabinets to safely store matches and lighters, chemicals, cleaners, medicines, cosmetics, and other toxic and/or caustic products.

4) Purchase cleaners, household chemicals, medications and other potentially hazardous products with child resistant packaging.

5) Post the national Poison Control Hotline (1-800-222-1222) and other emergency numbers next to every phone.

6) Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home and near sleeping areas.

7) Install toilet seat locks; turn over all buckets and store them up high, where they cannot collect standing water or be reached by children. When young children are in the bath, near a pool, a toilet or other standing water, play close attention and stay within arm’s reach of them at all times.

8 ) Test faucet water at the tap and adjust water heater to 120°F or below.

9) If your home has a pool, surround it on all sides with installed fencing and a self-latching gate.

10) Never leave a child unattended near standing water, even for a moment.

11) Locate cribs, beds, chairs and other furniture away from windows.

12) Install window locks or safety guards on above-ground windows. Be sure they have a quick-release mechanism in case of fire.

13) Keep window treatment cords and sashes tied and stored up high overhead; purchase new mini-blinds that meet safety standards.

14) Store matches, lighters, candles and other fire tools out of children’s sight and reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.

Spanking isn’t necessarily something a parent consciously chooses. Most often, it happens when grownups lose their cool, get worked up or feel desperate. Dad may give little Tommy a whack because he’s already asked him three times to turn off the television. Or when four-year-old Johnny runs across the road, his mom may spank him and warn, “Don’t you ever, ever run into the street again.” All parents know how profoundly annoying it can be when their little one doesn’t listen to them. Fear has the same effect: “Oh my gosh, what if Johnny isn’t so lucky the next time he runs into the street?” The vast majority of parents have either felt the urge to spank, or have given their child a pat, whack or smack at one time or another.

In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, spanking happens at least once a week in 25 percent of two-parent, middle-class families. Why do so many parents end up spanking their kids? You might assume it’s because spanking works. But, in fact, spanking works if, and only if, you look at the short-term. Three-year-old Lucy picked up her toys with lightening-fast speed after her mom gave her a swat on the behind. However, Lucy’s teachers need to keep a close eye on her in the playground because she tends to bully the younger kids. What does one have to do with the other?

A crucial 2002 study takes a look at how spanking affects kids. Psychologist Elizabeth Thompson Gershoff of Columbia University’s National Center for Children in Poverty analyzed 62 years of collected data, and found that the more often a child is spanked, the greater is the risk of childhood aggression and other antisocial behaviors such as lying, cheating and bullying. Children who are raised with spankings are less likely to learn right from wrong, and are more likely to misbehave behind their parent’s backs. One of the pro-spanking mothers in my practice conceded, “My son behaves if I spank him– but I don’t know if he’s behaving out of fear or because he’s learning to distinguish right from wrong.” Clearly, spanking changes a child.

So, what’s the alternative? The following strategies are grounded in the belief that a child deserves to be treated with respect, even when he’s acting up.

Top 10 Ways to Handle Discipline Dilemmas

1. Be firm and be kind.
A child is more likely to hear what you’re saying if you use a neutral tone.

2. Pause.
There’s nothing wrong with saying, “I’m too angry to deal with this now. We’ll talk about it later.”

3. Teach your kids.
Instead of punishing a child for misbehaving, think in terms of teaching him to behave. “I don’t like it when you leave your skateboard in the front hall. Next time, please put it in the mudroom. How can I help you remember?”

4. Be positive.
Instead of saying, “How many times do I need to ask you to brush your teeth?” Say, “Go brush your teeth and let me know when you’ve finished so I can tuck you in.”

5. Give explanations, not threats.
By giving your child a brief explanation of why she needs to do as she’s told, you give her a reason to behave.

6. Refuse to get angry.
Instead of focusing on your child’s misbehavior and working yourself into a lather, think of each conflict as an opportunity to guide and direct your child.

7. Give incentives.
Inspire your child to cooperate with phrases like, “It’s time to go. Why don’t you go down the slide one more time and then let’s hustle. I want to get home in time to make cookies.”

8. Be flexible.
If your little one asks, “Can I just finish watching this show before we go?” be reasonable. If you have the time to spare, make room for your child’s requests. This is a great way for kids to learn about the art of negotiation.

9. Drop out of power struggles.
Nothing is as frustrating or less productive as having a showdown with your little one. Invite your child to cooperate by saying something like, “I’ve got a problem. I want you to wear a clean shirt and you insist on wearing the same old one every day. How can we solve this problem?” Your child is more likely to cooperate if he comes up with the solution.

10. Be smart.
Parents will often deal with problems in a set manner, even if their approach isn’t helping. If what you’re doing isn’t working, find a more effective way to handle the problem. Tip: It’s much easier to change your approach than it is to change your child. Ask yourself, “What can I do differently that will inspire a better reaction from my child?”

TIP: Remember these three important rules about punishment:

• Don’t assign a punishment when you’re angry
• Don’t use punishment as revenge.
• A more severe punishment is not necessarily a better one

Source: http://parenting.ivillage.com